Introduction: The aim of this study was to detect TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism in postmenopausal patients with endometrial cancer (EC), to evaluate the risk of EC connected with it, as well to check for possible relationships with staging, grading and some risk factors of this neoplasm.
Material and methods: Endometrial samples from 152 women with EC and from 50 cancer-free ones were taken for genetic evaluation to detect TP53 codon 72 variability using PCR-RFLP technique.
Results: The EC group was characterized by higher incidence of Arg/Arg genotype (OR=3.01) as well as lower incidence of Pro/Arg and the Pro allele (OR=0.33 and 0.48). There were no characteristic features linking EC grading and staging with the studied polymorphisms except for stage II with higher incidence of Arg/Arg (OR=4.25) and the Arg allele (OR=1.13), and grade 2 with higher incidence of Arg/Arg (OR=4.49) and lower incidence of the Pro allele (OR=0.22). Overweight and obese EC subgroups revealed higher incidence of Arg/Arg (OR=4.81 and 2.76) and lower incidence of the Pro allele (OR=0.21 and 0.36) compared to controls. The EC subgroup with arterial hypertension had higher incidence of Arg/Arg (OR=3.30) as well as lower incidence of Pro/Arg (OR=0.47) and the Pro allele (OR=0.37)--these differences were more pronounced than in the normotensive EC subgroup.
Conclusion: While Arg/Arg genotype is connected with increased and Pro/Arg and the Pro allele with decreased EC risk, we suppose that evaluation of TP53 codon 72 polymorphism may be of prognostic value, being useful for the prophylaxis of EC as well. Obesity and arterial hypertension seem to affect this polymorphism distribution.